Is gram flour made from lentils or chickpeas or something else?

Question

Is gram flour made from lentils or chickpeas or something else?

Answer 1

Gram flour is a flour made from ground chickpeas. It is also known as chana flour (Indian), besan (Indian), kadale hittu (Kannada), chickpea flour and garbanzo flour (Spanish). Used in many countries, it is a staple ingredient in Indian cuisine, and, in the form of a paste with water or yoghurt, a popular facial exfoliant in India and Pakistan

Gram flour contains a high proportion of carbohydrates but no gluten

Answer 2

Gram flour is a flour made from ground chickpeas.[1] It is also known as chana flour (Indian), besan (Indian), kadale hittu (Kannada), chickpea flour and garbanzo flour (Spanish). Used in many countries, it is a staple ingredient in Indian cuisine, and, in the form of a paste with water or yoghurt, a popular facial exfoliant in India and Pakistan.[2]

Gram flour contains a high proportion of carbohydrates[3] but no gluten.[4]

Although pronounced similarly, gram flour is unrelated to graham flour.

Answer 3

In India, we use BESAN  aka gram flour which is made from chickpeas.  I use besan flour almost daily in my cooking.  It is versatile and neutral in taste, it also holds up well against all the Indian spices.

The most famous use of besan is the batter used to make pakoras!

Besan has an dull yellow colour and matte texture. It’s aroma is earthy and dry. The taste is pleasant, rather nutty and heavy.

Use:

Besan is used in several recipes as a binding agent as in curries and also to make batters for fritters. Some delicious preparations include dahi ki kadhi in Gujarat, bhajias (dumplings of vegetables, potatoes coated with a besan batter and deep fried), besan ladoo [a sweet made of besan, sugar, cardamom, almonds in ghee (clarified butter)].

How to store:

Store it in a airtight container and it will keep for about 6 months. In hot climate like India it is slightly roasted and stored in the refrigerator.

Health benefits:

Besan contains carbohydrates and hence may not be suitable for low-carbohydrate diets, but it is suitable for gluten-free diets.